MPR Leader: The State Must Guarantee The Education Of 11,045 Orphans Due To COVID-19

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly, Ahmad Muzani, asked the government to pay special attention to children who were orphaned as a result of their parents being exposed to COVID-19.

Data from the COVID-19 Task Force (Satgas) stated that 11,045 children in Indonesia were orphaned because their parents died.

This fact, according to Muzani, should be a concern for the government because it is a mandate from the constitution that the poor and neglected children are looked after by the state.

"A total of more than 11,000 orphans must be guaranteed a better life in accordance with the constitutional mandate that the poor and neglected children are cared for by the state," said Muzani to reporters, Monday, August 23.

In addition, the Secretary-General of the Gerindra Party also asked the government to ensure that the orphans were given access to education to organize their future. He reminded the children not to be neglected.

"The state must ensure education for these orphans. Do not let them be neglected and do not become an uneducated generation, because it will make it difficult for them to find a better future," said the chairman of the Gerindra faction of the DPR RI.

Muzani also appealed to people who have economic advantages to help provide assistance to those in need. Like children who are orphaned because their parents died due to COVID-19.

Although it is the responsibility of the state, said Muzani, it is also the responsibility of all parties to assist them, whether institutionally or individually.

"We fellow human beings are obliged to help each other regardless of cultural, religious, ethnic, and racial background. For that I appeal to people who have economic and material advantages to set aside and share with our brothers and sisters in need such as orphans who were left by their parents due to COVID-19, the number reached tens of thousands," concluded Ahmad Muzani.

Previously, Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini was preparing an aid scheme for the orphans. Risma admitted that the budget for orphanage assistance had been coordinated with the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani.

"I have spoken with the Minister of Finance so that it can be supported from the budget. Assistance for these children is the state's obligation. As mandated by the constitution in Article 34 of the 1945 Constitution that the poor and neglected children are cared for by the state. Now, this is being finalized. It is not easy. (compiling the aid scheme) indeed, because Indonesia is vast and has various regional characteristics," said Risma, Thursday, August 19.